My handcrafted jewelry blog featuring everything from unusual bracelets to chandelier earrings. The jewelry I make can be seen at www.clunygreyjewelry.com or at www.leslieturtlejewelry.com. A world of gemstones awaits!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

The mixed colors of tourmaline are always in style; here the two strand tourmaline necklace is truly seasonless. The necklace has tourmalines in all shapes and sizes from smooth opaque nuggets to translucent rondelles to gem-quality tourmalines. Sterling silver accents the many colors and a special gemstone clasp holds it all together! Below, I've become really enamoured of apatite, especially the neon turquoise color that you see here in this apatite and mixed gemstone bracelet. Gem quality amethysts are beautiful with the apatite, but the unusual addition is that of genuine opals from Australia. 14 karat gold-filled components show off the beauty of the gemstones, and 14 karat gold-filled sand-dollar charm adds a whimsical touch.

Above and below, this chalcedony necklace will mix with most of your chalcedony jewelry since it boasts wonderful spring colors of aqua, light green, purple, pink and yellow. The purple gemstones are large faceted slabs of amethysts; the small faceted yellow olive gemstones are lemon quartz. Tiny accents of sterling silver are between each of the gemstones and a sterling silver clasp is the closure.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Although it is not officially here until next week, I can smell Fall in the air, and feel the energy that comes along with the season. I'm continuing to post pieces from the new Fall Collection on the Cluny Grey Jewelry website. Here are some of the pieces that will be posted this week:Above and below: the aqua chalcedony bracelet features gold chain which is a big fashion trend this year. The chalcedony here is beautiful; the smaller gemstone serves as a counter-weight so that the bracelet does not keep turning over. 14 karat goldfill and vermeil.

Below, a prehnite bracelet features pretty translucent green olive faceted gemstones linked together with sterling silver and closing with a filigree cameo clasp.

A drusy pendant is the focal of this necklace of tourmalinated quartz and amethysts. The faceted flat quartz nuggets are partially translucent and separated by translucent amethysts pebbles. The back of the necklace is a heavy sterling silver chain. The drusy pendant has a sparkling black drusy surround by sterling silver and four faceted bezel-set amethysts. The perfect necklace to go from work to happy hour, to pair with a LBD or with a favorite dress.

Below, the bracelet of tourmalinated quartz and amethysts, sold separately, is a perfect match for the drusy necklace above.

The aquamarine necklace features only aquamarine and sterling silver. The aquamarines are smooth ovals, faceted nuggets, and pretty briolettes clustered at the center. This would look great with navy - the neutral this season, and also with burgundy, the really hot color for Fall/Winter.

Pearls are big this season! The freshwater pearl bracelet above is meant to be worn with the chalcedony nugget and the pretty toggle clasp on top of the wrist. The toggle clasp has a bezel set pearl. The aqua chalcedony is a beautiful faceted nugget. Below, three strands of freshwater pearls mix with gold and mother-of-pearl. The gold, including the pretty puffed heart charm, is 14 karat goldfilled. The geometric look comes from an open square of mother-of-pearl with a fluted 14 karat goldfilled bead inside it.

The earrings below are chalcedony in a minty green topped with genuine rubies. All metal is sterling silver. Beautiful with black - and the colors show up with most hair colors.

Chain bracelets are another big trend this year; add charms and you have a real winner. All sterling silver with a sterling silver toggle clasp with a cabochon onyx embedded in a triangle of the toggle. The sterling chains range in size from 2mm to 8mm.

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Sunday, July 17, 2011

Sometimes people think my colour sense is a bit crazy, but look at the bracelet(above and below) and tell me that it isn't beautiful! Dark faceted citrine nuggets, faceted peridot rondelles, faceted amethyst nuggets,and faceted ruby rondelles make this bracelet a colourful knockout! It has one of my favorite second strands also: a simple strand of sterling silver tiny cube beads from the Thai Karen Hill Tribes; two little bezel-set amethyst charms dangle from it. This bracelet epitomizes what I love about handmade bracelets. It is a combination that you would likely never find in any commercial jewelry store. I probably like these colourful bracelets a lot because of my personal wardrobe; I wear a lot of black and white, usually with all white or all black with a touch of one other colour. The mixed gemstone bracelets add a bit of dash to my outfits which, although I like to think of them as sophisticated,could also be thought boring otherwise.

I really like chrysoprase, the gemstone that I believe is most often mentioned in the Bible. It was often used in ancient times, both in jewelry and art, and still has an undeniable beauty. This chrysoprase bracelet features artist's lampwork beads, a second strand sterling silver chain, and one of our prettier toggle clasps in sterling.

The peridot bracelet (pictured above and below) illustrates my penchant for mixing different gemstone cuts of the same stone. The artist's lampwork beads have a flash of metallic colour that adds sparkle as well. (Peridot is the August birthstone, so watch for more peridot jewelry).

Sparkle works great in the summer! Imagine this Swarovski bracelet with an all-white outfit. The Pacific opal Swarovski crystals are a favorite with me. I adore their glow, and they remind me of the water in the Bahamas. The sterling silver chain adds that "something extra" and dangles three Swarovski charms.

Turquoise is also great for summer. Below,the lampwork beads in this turquoise necklace determined the colour scheme. The beads are turquoise,clear, and dark amber. Sleeping Beauty turquoise and other genuine turquoise stones are complemented by brown chalcedony that picks up the dark amber colour in the lampwork beads. The carved gemstone flower is actually carnelian.

Below the necklace is a hunky, chunky turquoise bracelet with wonderful large turquoise nuggets mixed with golden vermeil from Bali. A single golden key charm hangs from one side of the bracelet.

A favorite combination of mine is emeralds and abalone, and in this last bracelet, you can see why I love it so much. The rough emeralds look great with abalone; the vermeil accents really adds to the glow of this bracelet.

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday although this year our gathering will be a small one. Still, it is the one holiday where one eats, drinks, visits, and generally feels absolutely justified in doing nothing except feeling thankful that one can eat, drink and visit.

I am not one of those who will show up at 3:00 a.m. Friday morning to get all the "good" sales. Ugh! The very thought of it strikes terror in my heart. I have become increasingly an online shopper since it is so simple and I can shop when I'm in the mood, not when the store happens to be open. With so many stores having liberal return policies and free shipping, some of the last barriers to easy online shopping are disappearing.

For those of you who follow this blog and are thinking of Christmas jewelry, be warned that I am leaving Dec. 17th to go to Africa for Christmas, so get in the jewelry order early! I'm still doing custom orders, too, but do arrange with me soon to have your piece made.

Today, some of the latest pieces: above, a chrysoprase bracelet with artist's lampwork and two strands of sterling silver and chrysoprase. Below, an agate bracelet with pretty speckled agate. The next gemstone bracelet is made with some of my favorite prehnite; it's chunky and sharply faceted. The artist's lampwork with the prehnite is some of our prettiest from Enchanted Dreams.

I am very fond of bracelets with more than one strand; that is only one reason I like the blue lace agate bracelet below. The flower theme is present in the prettiest artist's lampwork bead of dark blue with light blue flowers, stamped flower charms and a pretty sterling silver flower-themed clasp. The bracelet is all blue lace agate with the exception of the focal gemstone which is made of darker blue chalcedony.

Above is the first prayer box necklace I've made in gold. The prayer box itself is a bit different than one usually expects. It is a filigree style round shape (and it does open) topped with a pretty cabochon garnet. The prayer box itself is made of vermeil (gold over sterling silver) and the very long chain is 14 karat goldfill.

The last piece is unusual for me; it is a watch and not just an ordinary watch. The face of the watch is encrusted with Swarovski crystals; the band is made of Swarovski crystals and faceted black onyx and, of course, sterling silver. It would be great to wear to a Christmas or New Year's party.

I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you get to spend it with people you love!

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Cluny Grey Jewelry

About Me

I am: Donna Morris, Donna Karber, Donna Cluny Gardner - in each phase of my life people have known me by different names. I definitely have changed as my name has changed however! Former English and Humanties teacher.